Mooring line stand-off bars



Feb. 3, 1970 c. w. musan I 3,492,963

I MOORING LINE STAND-OFF BARS Filed Feb. 28. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 :5 A50 14 4 ii 5 62 43 K I T5 T3.

INVENTOR CHARLES W. Kmsaa ATToR vs m m Q EYS Feb. 3, 1970 c. w. KAISER MOQRING LINE STAND-OFF BARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28. 1968 INVENTOR CHARLES W. KAISER RTTO Feb. 3, 1970 c. w. KAISER 3,492,953

MOORING LINE STAND-0FF BARS Filed Feb. 28, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR CHARLES W. KAlSER ew RTTOR EYS Feb. 3, 1970 c. w. KAISER 3,492,963

MOORING LINE summon BARS Filed Feb. 28, 1968 4 sheets-Sheet 4 .lll

168 16 ass a0 182 164 170 INVENTOR CHARLES W. KmSER BY i RTTORNZS 3,492,963 MOORING LINE STAND-OFF BARS Charles W. Kaiser, 418 W. Shore Trail, Sparta, NJ. 07871 Filed Feb. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 709,104 Int. Cl. B63b 21/00 US. Cl. 114-230 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mooring device for boats including a rigid standoff bar projecting from a dock and intercepting a mooring line intermediate the ends thereof to preclude contact between a moored boat and the dock.

The present invention relates generally to mooring systems and pertains, more specifically, to a mooring device including a mooring line stand-off bar for precluding damaging contact between a moored boat and a dock to which the boat is moored.

The term dock" as used herein is meant to encompass all structures to which a boat may be moored, such as, for example, bulkheads, piers, pilings, wharves, seawalls and like structures, and including floating docks as well as fixed docks.

A wide variety of mooring devices are presently available for effecting the docking of boats of various sizes in such a way that the boat will not ram or rub against the dock to which the boat is moored. These devices vary in complexity, but even the simplest of such devices generally serve as a replacement for ordinary mooring lines and often require some special hardware mounted on the boat to which these devices may attach.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to provide a mooring system employing a mooring device which will operate effectively in mooring a boat utilizing ordinary bow and stern mooring lines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mooring device for small boats which requires no special hardware or fittings installed on the boat.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mooring device which not only precludes damaging contact between a moored boat and the dock to which it is moored, but employs the characteristics of mooring lines ordinarily found in small boats to attain effective mooring and protect against shocks sometimes applied to a moored boat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mooring system as described above which may be employed advantageously in areas subject to changes in tide and the resulting variation in water levels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an exceptionally simple mooring device having a minimum number of component parts including a mooring line stand-off bar and being easily installed and easily used with a wide variety of boats.

The above objects, as well as further object and advantages, are attained by the invention which may be described briefly as a mooring device for use in a mooring system wherein a boat is moored with respect to a dock by means of bow and stern lines, at least one of the lines extending between the boat and a mooring point on the dock, the mooring device including a stand-off bar extending between opposite ends, means for attaching one end of the stand-off bar to the dock for swinging movement relative to the dock such that the bar projects from a location which is spaced from the mooring point on the dock in the direction toward the other of the lines, and means at the other end of the bar for intercepting the one line at a predetermined location inter- United States Patent mediate the ends of the line and securing the bar at that location, the length of the stand-off bar being great enough to urge the one line in a direction away from the dock and preclude contact between the boat and the dock.

The invention will be more fully understood, and still further objects and advantages will become apparent, in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating a boat moored to a pier and wherein the mooring system employs stand-off bars constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic plan view similar to FIGURE 1 but illustrating an alternative mooring system;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic plan view similar to FIGURE 1 and showing the boat moored to a bulkhead;

FIGURE 4 is a pictorial illustration of a mooring system employing a stand-01f bar of the invention;

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are longitudinal cross-sectional views illustrating various extensible stand-off bars;

FIGURE 8 is a pictorial illustration of an alternate mooring system employing a stand-off bar arrangement constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view illustrating details of construction of a portion of the system of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIGURE 9; and

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view taken 1111 of FIGURE 9.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to FIGURE 1, a boat 10 is shown moored to a pier 12 which projects from a bulkhead 14 such that the boat floats in the water 16 and is secured to the pier by means of a bow line 18 and a stern line 20. The bow line 18 is fastened at one end 22 thereof to a fitting 24 at the bow 25 of the boat while the other end 26 thereof is secured to a mooring point 28 on the pier 12. Likewise, the stern line 20 is attached at one end 32 thereof to a fitting 34 at the stern 35 of the boat while the other end 36 thereof is secured to another mooring point 38 on the pier 12.

In order to maintain the boat 10 in properly spaced relationship with the pier 12 and thereby preclude damaging contact between the boat and the pier, a stand-off bar 40 is shown affixed at one end 42 thereof to the pier 12 for swinging movement relative to the pier and intercepting the stern line 20 intermediate the ends 32 and 36 thereof at the other end 44 of the stand-off bar. The location 45 at which the end 42 of the standoff" bar 40 is attached to the pier is spaced from the mooring point 38 in the direction toward the bow line 18 and the length of the stand-off bar 40 is great enough so that the stand-off bar will urge the stern line in a direction away from the pier in order to retain the illustrated re lationship between the boat and the pier. A second standoff bar is affixed to the pier 12 at one end 52 of the stand-off bar 50 and intercepts the bow line 18 intermediate the ends 22 and 26 thereof in a manner similar to that described in connection with stand-off bar 40 so that the pair of stand-off bars 40 and 50 will serve to hold the boat 10 in place with respect to the pier 12.

An alternate mooring system is illustrated in FIG- URE 2 wherein there is shown only one stand-off bar 40 employed to hold the stem 35 of the boat 10 in place with respect to the pier 12. In addition to bow line 18, a second bow line 54 is employed, in place of the standoff bar 50, to retain the bow 25 of the boat in place. In such a mooring system, only one stand-off bar is required.

along line Turning now to FIGURE 3, a mooring system very much like that illustrated in FIGURE 1 is shown with the stand-off bars 40 and 50 thereof projecting from the bulkhead 14 itself and retaining the boat having bow and stern lines 18 and 20, respectively, in proper moored relationship with respect to the bulkhead.

In the pictorial illustration of FIGURE 4, the stern of the boat 10 is shown in suflicient detail to reveal that the fitting 34 is a standard cleat 60 and the stern line 20 is a rope 62 extending from the cleat 60 to a ring 64 which is secured to the pier 12 at the mooring point 38. The stand-off'bar is rigid and projects from a plate 66 affixed to the pier 12 at the location spaced from the ring 64 at the mooring point 38 in a forward direction, or in a direction toward the bow of the boat 10. The end 42 of the stand-oil bar 40 includes a universal joint 67 so that the stand-ofl? bar may swing about its point of attachment. The opposite end 44 of thestand-oif bar 40 is provided with a ring 68 through which the stern line 20 is looped, tied or is otherwise aflixed so that the ring 68 remains at a generally fixed point 70 intermediate the ends 32 and 36 of the stern line 20. In this manner, it will be seen that the natural resilience of the rope 62 will absorb any shocks placed upon the stern line as a result of forces exerted upon the hull of the boat by wind and water, as well as by the boarding or disembarking of passengers.

As best seen in FIGURES 5 through 7, the stand-off bar 40 may be made extensible in a longitudinal direction in any one of several ways in order to accommodate boats of various sizes, and particular boats of different beam. Thus, in FIGURE 5, the stand-01f bar 40 includes a central section 72, an intermediate section 74 and an outer section 75, all of which are telescopically engaged so as to enable selective longitudinal elongation or contraction of the stand-off bar 40. Detents 76 and 77 which are carried by central section 72 and intermediate section 74, respectively, are employed to cooperate with corresponding apertures 78 and 79 in the intermediate section 74 and outer section 75, respectively, to maintain the stand-off bar 40 in any one of several stages of elongation. The ring 68 is affixed to the central section 72.

The universal joint 67 is illustrated in the form of a ball and socket joint 80 including a socket 82 which is integral with the plate 66 and a ball 84 received within the socket 82 and integral with the outer section 76 of the stand-off bar.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 6, the stand-off bar 40 is provided with a ball and socket joint 80 identical to that of the embodiment of FIGURE. 5, and including a socket 82 integral with the plate 66 and a ball 84 received within the socket 82. A rod is affixed to the ball 84 and is received within a sleeve 92, the rod 90 having a series of apertures 94, any one of which may be aligned with a corresponding aperture 96 in the sleeve 92 so that a bolt 98 may be passed through aligned apertures 94 and 96 to aflix the sleeve 92 and the rod 90 in any one of several selected positions. A second rod 100 is also telescopically received within the sleeve 92 and is also provided with a series of apertures 102, any one of which may be aligned with a further aperture 96 in the sleeve 92 so that a second bolt 104 may be passed through aligned apertures 96 and 102. The ring 68 is aflixed to the rod 100. Hence, the stand-off bar of FIGURE 6 may be selectively elongated or contracted longitudinally by merely removing the bolts 98 and 104 and sliding the rods 90 and 100 relative to the sleeve 92.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 7, the stand-off bar 40 includes only two elements, one of which is a sleeve affixed to a ball and socket joint (not shown) as in the above described embodiment, and a telescopically received rod 112 carrying the ring 68. The rod 112 is locked in place with respect to the sleeve 110 by means of a collar 114 which is threaded onto a split 4 portion 116 at the end 118 of the sleeve 110 and which may be turned with respect to the split portion 116 to selectively tighten or loosen the grip of the sleeve on the rod at the threaded split portion.

Referring now to FIGURES 8 through 11, the stern 35 of the boat 10 is again shown in suflicient detail to identify the fitting 34 as a standard cleat 60 and to show the stern line 20 extending from the cleat 60 to a ring 64. The stand-off bar 40 is again provided with a ball and socket joint 80; however, the ball and socket joint 80 is carried by a rod 120 received within a vertical sleeve 122 for sliding movement within the sleeve. The sleeve 122 is split longitudinally at 124 so that as the rod 120 slides vertically within the sleeve the stand-oft bar 40 will traverse the sleeve in a vertical direction. Adjacent the bottom of the rod 120 is a float 126 aflixed to the rod so that as the water level rises or falls the float 126 will also rise or fall and carry with it the rod 120 and the stand-off bar 40, thereby maintaining the desired relationship between the stern line 20 and the stand-ofl": bar 40. The ring 64 will rise and fall in a like-manner since it too is affixed to a rod (not shown) which lies within a split sleeve 132 and carries a float 136. Thus, it will be seen that the mooring system of FIGURE 8 lends itself to use in tidal waters where the level of the water 16 will change periodically.

Turning now to FIGURES 12 and 13, an alternative universal joint for use at the end 42 of the stand-01f bar 40 is illustrated and is shown to comprise a plate aflixed to the pier 12 and carrying a pair of brackets 142 between which extends a vertically oriented pin 144. A second plate 146 is pivotally mounted upon the pin 144 by means of a pair of pivot blocks 148 aflixed to the second plate 146 and projecting from one face 150 thereof. A second pair of pivot blocks 152 project from the opposite face 154 of the plate 146 and carry a second pin 156 which is oriented in a generally horizontal direction at right angles to the first pin 144. The stand-oil bar 40 is mounted for pivotal movement upon the second pin 156 by means of a sleeve 158 carried by the second pin 156 and integral with the end 42 of the stand-01f bar 40. Thus, the pins 144 and 156 establish perpendicular axes about which the stand-ofl bar may swing with swinging movement of the stand-off bar being permitted in a vertical direction as illustrated by the arrow in FIGURE 12 and in a horizontal direction as illustrated by the arrow in FIGURE 13.

Turning now to FIGURES 14 and 15, a rigid stand-oil bar 160 is shown attached to a dock 162 by means of a universal joint which includes a pair of socket blocks 164 slideably received upon a track and urged toward one another by adjusting screws 168 threaded into adjusting blocks 170 also aflixed to the dock. The end 172 of the stand-01f bar 160, which is opposite the end 174 at which a ring 176 is established is afiixed to a ball 178 received within the socket 180 established by the socket blocks 164 such that the stand-off bar 160 may swing between stops 182 as shown in phantom in FIGURE 14. The socket blocks 164 may thus be adjusted to maintain proper swiveling action between the ball 178 and the socket 180 and to allow removal of the ball 178 from the socket 180 when desired. The stops 182 prevent the stand-off bar 160 from damaging the socket blocks 164 by limiting the arc of the swivel movement to preclude contact of the standoff bar with the socket blocks.

It will be seen that the stand-off bars of the above described devices enable the use of mooring systems in which proper mooring may be accomplished by leaving an adequate amount of slack in the mooring lines to permit the boat to pitch, roll or work in other modes with little or no stress on the mooring lines. Only when the boat attempts to leave the general working area will a mooring line begin to pull taught and restrain such movement. When such stress is placed on a mooring line, the line will ordinarily stretch resiliently, as the stress is applied, until the boat movement is stopped. Thus, mooring lines serve as shock absorbers. It is noted that the standoff bars do not contact the boat and hence will not mar or otherwise damage the boat.

In addition, cleats are ordinarily located on boats at specific positions chosen to withstand the forces generated by mooring lines. The above described mooring systems make use of these cleats and these positions.

In boarding or disembarking from the boat, any of the above mooring systems allows easy access to the boat by merely unfastening either a bow or a stern line and allowing the remainder of the system to collapse as the boat is brought toward the dock.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of embodiments of the invention is provided by way of example only. Various details of design and construction may be modified without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a mooring system wherein a boat is moored with respect to a dock by means of relatively resilient bow and stern lines, at least one of said lines extending from a point on the boat to a mooring point on the dock, a mooring device including a stand-off bar having opposite ends; means for attaching one end of the stand-off bar to the dock of swinging movement relative thereto such that the stand-off bar projects from a location which is spaced from the mooring point on the dock in the direction toward the other of said lines; and

means at the other end of the stand-01f bar for intercepting said one line at a predetermined location between said point on the boat and said mooring point and securing the stand-01f bar at that predetermined location;

the length and rigidity of the stand-off bar being great enough to urge said one line in a direction away from the dock and allow said one line to resiliently restrain movement of the boat toward the dock to preclude contact between the boat and the clock.

2. The mooring device set forth in claim 1 including means for varying the length of the stand-off bar to accommodate boats of diiferent beams.

3. The mooring device set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the stand-01f bar is relatively rigid;

said means for attaching one end of the stand-off bar to the dock is a universal joint; and

said means for intercepting the one line is a ring which may be secured at the predetermined intermediate location of said one line.

4. The mooring device of claim 3 wherein:

the universal joint includes first and second pins extending at right angles to one another and defining perpendicular axes about which said stand-off bar may swing;

a first member for mounting the first pin upon the dock;

a second member mounting the second pin for pivotal movement about the first pin; and

means mounting the stand-off bar for pivotal movement about the second pin.

5. The mooring device of claim 3 wherein the universal joint comprises a ball and socket joint including:

a ball member affixed to said one end of the standoff bar;

a socket member receiving the ball member for swivel movement of the ball member within the socket; and

means for mounting the socket member upon the dock.

6. The mooring device of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching said one end of the stand-off bar to the dock includes:

a float arranged for vertical traverse with respect to the dock in response to changes in the level of the water in which the boat floats; and

means affixing the one end of the stand-off bar to the float such that said one end will move vertically with the float to compensate for the change in water level.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,120,831 2/1964 Fulton 114230 3,224,404 12/1965 De Jong 114230 3,177,838 4/1965 Grimes 114-230 3,177,839 4/1965 Nolf 114-230 3,307,514 3/1967 Young 114-230 3,406,651 10/1968 Jalbert 114230 TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner 

